Healthcare resource utilization and related cost of non-HIV comorbidity management in people with HIV in a Spanish cohort from 2007-2016.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the cost and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) associated with the prevalence of comorbidities in people living with HIV (PLWH) in a Spanish cohort over ten years.

Methods: A cohort study carried out at the HIV outpatient clinic of the University Hospital Virgen del Rocío based on data collected during 2007-2016. PLWH with at least one follow-up visit were included. Comorbidities were determined by examining diagnostic codes in the electronic medical records. Costs were estimated from hospitalizations, emergency and non-HIV visits, laboratory tests for conditions unrelated to HIV infection, HIV antiretroviral therapy, and other non-HIV diagnostic tests. A linear regression was performed with non-ART costs as the dependent variable and patient characteristics (sex, HIV transmission route, age, CD4, comorbidities, and infection duration) as independent variables.

Results: The study included 2,798 PLWH; 83% were men with a mean age of 38.6 years. Overall, 52.5% of PLWH had at least one non-HIV comorbidity and 21.2% had ≥3 comorbidities. The most prevalent comorbidities were hepatitis C (25.3%) and hypertension (22.9%). The presence of comorbidities increased the total healthcare cost up to 80% in PLWH with ≥3 comorbidities compared with those without comorbidities (over a 10-year period (115,867.3€ vs 64,290.7€, p < .001). The number of comorbidities was linked to higher healthcare costs in PLWH in the adjusted model.

Conclusion: Comorbidities raised the total healthcare costs for PLWH, with a greater impact on those with multiple comorbidities compared to those with few or none. Both clinical and economic decision-makers must consider and assess the cost of comorbidities when evaluating HIV treatment guidelines or recommendations.